Wind and Deer
by Sophia Rosalie Gibbs
Summary: Shikamaru and Temari remeet each other after 3 and a half years. For all you sappy romance fans!
1. Return to the past

The KNLS: Shikamaru and Temari

Chapter 1: Revisit From the Past

I stomped my foot impatiently on the ground. I knew that it was a three day journey to the Hidden Leaf, but who knew it could be so long? I looked at the scenery as I was passing. Trees, trees, grass...BLAH! It was all so boring! After traveling three days seeing the same scenery over and over, a girl could go crazy. Luckily, I was one of the few who didn't. I soon saw the forest clearing and I felt a calm, slow breeze. Being one with the wind, I knew that this was a good sign for something.

Finally, the village of Konoha was in sight. I could have jumped for joy. I practically ran to the gates of the village, happy to have finally arrived. If I had to walk any more today, I'd faint! I slowed down as I got to the gate. That was where I saw him.

The guy, who was a bit younger than me, was waiting near the gate. His dark brown hair was pulled into a tight, small ponytail. He had a stud in both of his ears. Judging by the green vest he wore, he was a Chuunin.(Inner me: There is a God. T.T Yes!!) He looked like something from my past, but who he was, I couldn't remember. It was like a distant memory that my brain was trying to remember.

Chapter 2: Oh We're Off To the Hokage

As soon as I came into the gate, he walked right up to me.

"Are you from the Sand?" he asked, not noticing that I wore the Sand symbol. Not the smartest of guys, but his looks gave him an advantage.

I nodded. "My name's Temari. Nice to meet ya!"

He smiled. "Cool. I'm Shikamaru Nara. I'm suppose to escort you to the Hokage. Kind of troublesome, I guess."

Troublesome.. who said that before? I need to stop trying who that was. Enjoy the future, not the past Temari! It was probably someone unimportant to you. I came back to reality and nodded at what Shikamaru said. (Inner me: Yes! Hot escort! Did I do any good deeds lately??)

We made our way down the street. We just walked, and Shikamaru scratched his head. I guess he was trying to think of something to say.

"So.. What's your village like." he asked, breaking the silence between us.

"Sandy and windy. Pretty mush two of the worst things in the world. Plus, there aren't any animals since the conditions are so bad, even for me sometimes."

His face lit up. "You like animals?"

"Totally! I guess most girls do. You?"

"My family owns deer. Maybe you could come over and see them after you're done meeting with the Hokage?" (Inner me: Sqeeee! I get to go to Shikamaru's place!)

"Sure, if it's alright with you." I said casually, trying not to sound too excited. Let's just say, I was a girl who usually kept to herself and never prepared herself for society (A.K.A. Guys) After living with Kankuro and Gaara all of your life, you pretty much have a guess about guys. But Shikamaru.. he was different.

His dark eyes sparkled. "Great! I'll meet you outside the Hokage's office."

I nodded and soon realized that we had already made it there. We both sighed at the time, which made me laugh. I f only I could remember if I had known Shikamaru before now. Why can't I remember? We said goodbye and I headed up, where the Hokage was waiting.

The meeting went smoothly. Both of us had thoughts in other places. I got up to leave after an awkward silence, but the Hokage stopped me.

"Do you have any plans, Temari?" she asked, her brown eyes peering at me.

I immediately thought of Shikamaru. I felt my face burn up. I looked away and nodded.

She laughed. "This will be between us girls. Love is a grand thing, isn't it?"

Hey! Did she know something that I didn't right now? I wish I knew!! I turned back to her and smiled. "I guess so, Lady Tsunadae."

She smiled knowingly at me and dismissed me. I paused as soon as I got out of the door and put my hand on my heart. It was beating so fast! I sighed, trying to calm down. There was something that everyone else knew except me. Whatever it was, I was going to find out!

Chapter 3: Deer and a Secret waterfall

I walked out of the Hokage's office and there was Shikamaru, waiting outside like he said he would. (Inner me: The guy sticks to what he says. Score! ) He saw me walk out of the building and walked over to me.

"You still want to go see the deer?" he asked as I caught up to him.

I smiled. "Totally!"

He smiled and scratched his head. "Then let's get going. It's kind of a long walk, but it's not too troublesome."

I giggled. He used the word troublesome so much!

"What's so funny?" he asked, confused.

"You must like the word troublesome huh?"

He laughed. "I guess I do!"

We made our way to the outskirts of the village where I saw a wooden sign that read: Nara Park.

"Welcome to my house." he sighed as he held the gate open for me.

I stepped inside and saw a small path. I turned to see Shikamaru pushing me forward.

"Shikamaru! What are you doing?" I giggled, as he kept trying to move me forward.

"You're too slow! Time to go see the deer!" He said letting go of me. We made our way down the path until we saw a small log cabin, where a lady was waiting impatiently.

"Shikamaru! There you are!" the woman called as I approached the house.

"Uh oh. That's my mom. She's really nosy, so she might ask a lot of questions. Watch out." he whispered as he waved to her. (Inner me: T.T . Moms are annoying, I guess. Not that I would know.)

She handed Shikamaru a basket and then turned to me.

"Hello there! Are you Shikamaru' s girlfriend?" she asked, peering at me.

"Mom! Leave her alone! Come on, Temari!" Shikamaru said, grabbing me by the hand and pulling me down the path.

I took one last look at his mom, and she had this smile strewn across her face. I turned back to Shikamaru, who slowed down. He smiled at me and we kept walking down the path, Shikamaru still holding my hand. He noticed my stare and let go of my hand.

"Sorry." Shikamaru said, blushing.

"Don't be sorry. You did nothing wrong." I said, smoothing down my dress. A strand of my blond hair floated onto my face. I tried blowing it away, but it didn't work. Shikamaru pushed it back behind my ear and smiled at me. (Inner me: Aww.. so cute!)

Soon, the deer came into view. They were so pretty. Shikamaru nudged me.

"You want to feed them?" he asked, smiling.

"Sure, if they won't bite my hand off!" I said as he handed me the basket, which was full of berries.

The deer weren't scared at me. They let me walk right up to them and they munched the berries happily from my hand. Their tongue felt warm and slobbery against my hand, which made me giggle. Shikamaru took some berries too and talked to me as we fed the deer.

"You like them, don't you?"

"They're very friendly. I never fed a deer before. Do you do this everyday?"

"Yeah. It isn't the hardest job in the world, but it sure is fun."

"I envy you."

"Envy me? Why?"

"Back at the Sand village, everyone expects so much of me. Temari the Jounin do this, Temari's the oldest do that, watch Gaara, this, that, and everything else! I get so sick of it!" I clenched my fist.

He came over and placed his hand on top of my fist. I guess he understood what I was trying to say. I unclenched my fist and put my hand down to my side. I handed the empty basket to Shikamaru. He grabbed my hand as well and led me off into the wooded area.

"Shikamaru, where are we going?" I asked, trying to catch up to him.

"Oh, you'll see." was all he said. Where was he taking me?

We walked through the forest and i soon heard the sound of rushing water. As we walked farther, the sound got louder and louder. We soon made it out of the forest and there was a beautiful waterfall!

"Wow!" was all I could say. The water was shimmering in the afternoon sun and it was just so.. so breathtaking.

"Welcome to Shikamaru's Can't-Stand-Life-Anymore-Remedial Place!" he said, gesturing towards the place.

Chapter 4: Returning Memories

"This is so cool!" I squealed.

"Well, if you like it, that's all that matters. I really missed you since the last time we fought." He said.

Soon, everything flooded back to me. I remembered I was in love with Shikamaru. I remembered my dumb 16 year old self and all the things that happened when coming to Konoha was a weekly thing. Now I was 20,almost 21. Man, the years sure have gone by so quickly!

"I missed you, too. Life's just been so hectic lately, I haven't had much time to travel. Shikamaru did you really miss me?" I asked looking him in the eye.

He sat down on the ground and patted his hand on the ground, a way of asking me if I wanted to join him on the ground. I plopped down next to him and he stared at the sunset in the distance.

"You're still your blunt self, I see." he remarked as he scanned the sky.

"Well? Aren't you going to ask my question?" I demanded.(Inner me: answer the damn question already!!)

He sighed. "Does it really matter that much to you?"

My heart started pounding faster. I had to know if what i forgotten was better left forgotten. "Please?" I said, about to cry. I thought why he wasn't telling me was because he didn't like me. He probably liked that Ino chick that was on his team. She was pretty, skinny, and had long blond hair. Me, I wasn't as skinny as she was and my blond hair was pulled into four short, poofy ponytails.

"Temari! Please don't cry!" he said, pulling me in for a hug.

I just sat there and cried on his shoulder. He sat there, hugging me. I wrapped my arms around him and cried. Cried for everything that was wrong. Stupid Temari, it's not going to change anything! It's not going to change if Shikamaru likes you or not.

"I really did miss you, Temari. Why do you think I invited you over?" he whispered into my ear as I kept crying.

"I thought that you liked Ino!" I cried as he pulled me closer.

"Nope. She's just my teammate and nothing more than that. I like you Temari. No, I love you."

That broke through to my heart. He did love me. All this time, he loved me! "I love you, too!" I whispered. Tenten and Sakura were right. Keeping that you loved someone in was a big burden to carry.

I let go of Shikamaru and he looked me in the eye. "Will you go out with me, Temari?" Shikamaru asked, the sunlight reflecting off of his eyes.

I smiled. "I though that you'd never ask me!"

He smiled back at me and pulled me in for another hug. This time, I paid attention to how warm and comfortable he was.(Inner me:T.T crying for joy) I snuggled into his arms and he held me close.

We stopped hugging and Shikamaru placed his hand on top of mine. The sun had gone down, and the moon shone brightly above us. Shikamaru leaned closer to me and I leaned closer to him. We kissed under the moonlit sky and I forgot about everything except Shikamaru. (Inner me: ..In heaven. Come back later.) I wanted Shikamaru and nothing less, but I knew better than that. I pulled away gently and Shikamaru gave me a loving smile.

Chapter 5: Good Night

I loved that smile. It was the kind Lee gave Sakura.. wait! "Crap!" I said, remembering something important.

"What's wrong Temari?"

"I'm suppose to spend the night at Sakura's and I'm late!! She'll chew me out!"

Shikamaru started laughing. "Hold on, bunny rabbit! Don't worry so much. Come on, let's go."

Shikamaru helped me up to my feet and we made our way back to the main road. Shikamaru grabbed my hand and smiled at me. "Let those troublesome people think what they will. I love you and they can all know for all I care!"

He was right. "I love you too!"We made our way down the street until we got to Sakura's house. Shikamaru knocked on the door. Sakura came busting through the door, already speaking her mind.

"You could have come earlier, Temari! Did you just get here or something? You little wind nymph! And why were you- oh!" She stopped her babbling and finally noticed me and Shikamaru standing outside the door.

"Oh, hi Shikamaru!"

"Oy, Sakura. Take care of Temari,ok? Temari, I'll see you in the morning. Neji and Tenten are coming back!"

"Sure thing. Bye Shikamaru!"

I made my way into Sakura's house. She gave me a weird look as she close the door behind me. "What took you so long?" she demanded as we made our way into the guest room.

"Oh, I was just hanging out with Shikamaru." I said casually as I plopped down on the bed.

"WHAT?!"

"What? We just hung out at his place after I met with the Hokage." I smiled as I plopped down on the bed.

"And what did you guys do exactly?"

"We fed the deer."

"Oh come on Temari! Details, I need details!" (Inner me: Damn pinky! You don't need to know the details!"

"He asked me out." I said joyfully.

Sakura screamed. :Aww! I knew it! Did he kiss you?" (Inner me:-covers ears- she's scary when she yells. T.T One day, she'll destroy my ear drums.)

"Yes." I murmured as a little blond girl made her way into the room, her little fist rubbing her sleepy eyes. "Who's here Sakura?" Larxene asked as she looked over at me. Her face lit up. "Auntie Temari!"

She ran over to me and gave me a hug. Larxene is such a cute little girl. (Inner me: But when she's awake and hyper, she's worse than Sakura screaming.)

"Okay, Larxene. Temari is tired from traveling. I'll take you back to bed so that she can rest. She had a long day."

After she left, I used the last of my energy to get up and change. I turned off the lights and drifted into sleep, dreaming of my romantic night and first kiss with Shikammaru.


	2. Daydreaming?

Chapter 6: Daydreaming

Author's note: Larxene is the daughter of another made up character in my story. She lost her parents to Itachi. Can't say much about her parents because it ruins another story I'm writing.

"Auntie Temari! Wake up! Uncle Shikamaru here to sees you!" Larxene called, breaking me out of my sleep.

I opened my eyes.(Inner me:-pulls covers over my head- Damn it! 5 more minutes!) I smiled at Larxene, who gave me a big hug. I hugged her back, got dressed, and headed into the kitchen.

Shikamaru was sitting at the table, playing with his fingers.

"Were you always so fidgety?" I remarked as I sat down at the table next to him. He smiled boyishly and scratched his head.

"After you're done eating, we have to head on over to drop some food off at Tenten's place. It's for her get well party."

I smiled. "Sure thing, Shiko." After I called him Shiko, I immediately threw my hand up to my mouth.(Inner me: Did I just say that?-mental slap and runs into a corner-)

He laughed and patted me on the shoulder. "Why are you acting like you put a curse on me? Plus, you hand is that covering that pretty face of yours that I love to look at."

I blushed and put my hand down. "Sorry. I guess that I overreacted." (Inner me: -comes out of the corner- Yes! The awkwardness is over!)

I finished my breakfast and we headed out of Sakura's house hand in hand. We passed a lot of people, who smiled when they saw us like it wasn't a surprise that we were going out. Shikamaru gave me a warm smile and we soon made it to Tenten's house.

Shikamaru knocked on the door and I could hear a loud voice coming from inside. Soon, a tall dark eyed girl with light brown hair opened the door. (Inner me: Meet Sanadae. She's Sasuke's girlfriend. Once you meet her, you'll know how obnoxious and loud she is.. . )

"Shikamaru! Temari! Hey!" She cried, giving us both a hug.

"Hey Sanadae!" I said, still holding Shikamaru's hand.

She noticed this and gave me a wry smile. "Finally! Sasuke, come see this!" (Inner me: I like Sanadae for one reason. She has this charm that makes you immediately love her. She worked a miracle on her bf who used to try to kill Gaara. -applauses her.- )

Soon, Sasuke appeared and stood next to Sanadae. "Hey Shikamaru and Temari! What did you wa- oh!" He finally noticed what Sanadae wanted him to notice. He patted Shikamaru on the back.

"Finally! How long have you been in love with her? Forever? Way to muster up the courage!" Sasuke cried.

Shikamaru laughed and murmured an "Ow.." only loud enough for me to hear. I giggled and Shikamaru handed Sanadae the dish that he was carrying.

"Thanks! Everyone's already at the gate. Let me put this down and we can head over to the gate together!"

Sanadae left and returned shortly. Sasuke gave her a goofy smile and they were always a happy couple. Shikamaru intertwined his fingers with mine, which made me smile even bigger than Sanadae.

The gate finally came into view, along with a lot of our friends. I saw Kiba, Hinata, Shino, Sakura, and Larxene already there. They never turned around, but I knew that they knew we were here. Soon, we all heard a noise coming from the other side of the gate.

Neji soon appeared, carrying a very worn out looking Tenten on his back. We all started clapping, glad to see them back alive. (Author's note: Kay, in a different story that intertwines with this one, Tenten gets poisoned by Kisame.) The boys gave Neji this stare that was asking him if they were going out or not. Neji smiled and laughed. All the guys, even Shikamaru, started cheering. (Inner me: XD Wow.. guys are almost as bad at relationships than girls.)

Neji looked over at Shikamaru and me. He gave Shikamaru that same look. Shikamaru smiled and scratched his head, telling him yes. Neji gave us a warm smile and we made a pathway for them to pass through. Shikamaru squeezed my hand, letting me know that he was always with me and that I was never daydreaming.


	3. Relax

Chapter 7: Relax!

Sanadae came up to us after Neji and Tenten passed through. "We'll meet in about 2 hours at Tenten's house for the party. You guys go relax. Okay?"

I nodded and Shikamaru led me off. (Inner me: Yes! More time to spend with Shikamaru!) "Shikamaru, where are you taking me?"

"Our secret base, of course!"

I giggled as we made our way back to his house. We stopped by a flower stand, where Shikamaru bought a beautiful greenish-blue flower. "Almost the same color as your beautiful eyes." He whispered as he tucked the flower behind my ear.

He makes me blush so much. I giggled as he led me off, once again. We soon made it to his house where his mom was waving to us.

"Hello Temari! Nice to see you again! Shikamaru, don't do anything stupid to this nice girl!"

We both blushed as we kept walking down the path. I was so happy and spaced out that I didn't notice Shikamaru stop walking.. (Inner me: -mental slap- Idiot!)

"What's wrong Shikamaru?" I asked as I turned around to face him.

He gave me a goofy smile. "Stand still."

I sighed and put my hands on my hips."Fine."

The next thing that happened was that Shikamaru ran up to me and picked me up!(Inner me: -blinks- Wow!)

"Shikamaru!!" I giggled as I held on to him.

"You're so light Temari!" He laughed as I wrapped my arms around him.

"Stop lying!" I said, playfully slapping him. All he did was laugh and we finally made it back to the waterfall. Shikamaru put me down in the grass and plopped down next to me. I laid down on the grass and so did he. I looked over at him and at the beauty around us. It was all so perfect.

"Wow." Shikamaru said as I scooted closer to him.

"What?" I asked as I placed my head on top of him.

"I should have asked you out a long time ago. Being with you is so much fun."

"True." I whispered. I closed my eyes and drifted into a sleep that was so nice.


	4. Parties and Partings

Chapter 8: Party sadness

I woke up and noticed the bright sunlight. How long had I been asleep? I lifted my head from the still sleeping Shikamaru. I scooted up to him and poked him playfully.

"Wake up, sleepyhead!" I called as he opened his eyes. He yawned and smiled. He pulled me in for a kiss.

"That was so much better!" he said as we finished. He made me realize why we had come here. To relax before Tenten's party.

"Come on, Shikamaru! We have to go to Tenten's party, remember?"

He nodded and we got up to our feet. Luckily, the walk to her house was pretty short.

"We're probably late." I sighed as he knocked on the door.

Shikamaru rubbed my shoulders. "Don't worry so much. It's too troublesome." I gave him a smile as the door.

"There you guys are! We just started the party!" Sanadae cried as she ushered us inside.

Everyone was seated at the table, except for Larxene. We found two chairs and sat down. Kiba asked about some picnic, and Sasuke and Sanadae just laughed.

"Oh yeah! We heard from Aluize and Jorin! They have great news!" Sanadae cried, remembering what she wanted to say.

"What is ti?" We all asked. Aluize and Jorin are our friends from the Sound. They helped Sasuke rescue Sanadae from Itachi.

"They're getting married in two months!"

I heard Shikamaru sigh. "Marriage! It sounds so troublesome!"

I playfully smacked him on the arm. "Shikamaru!"

"What?" he said, which made everyone laugh. The time passed quickly and soon Shino, Hinata, and Kiba had to leave. (Yes, Akamaru was here too. )

Sanadae asked Tenten to explain what had happened to her. She said that she got poisoned badly and almost died. It was all so sad. Shikamaru saw my sad expression and squeezed my hand, but I could tell that he had something on his mind. Hr finally spoke up after Tenten was finished.

"I think that Kisame was planning something."

"What do you mean?" I asked, looking into his eyes.(Inner me: -runs into a corner- Why did I ask?)

"You see, he could of poisoned any of her teammates, not only her. I think that he was watching you two. Did you guys show any sign of affection towards each other before the fight with Kisame?"

Neji nodded, which made Shikamaru sigh. When he sighed, you knew that that was a bad sign. (Inner me:-goes farther into the corner-)

"I have a pretty rough guess to what it is, and it's not going to get any better if I'm right."

"W..What is it?" Tenten asked, petrified.

"My guess is that the Atsuki want Neji for something. They tried luring him by trying to kill you so that he'd go avenge your death. You and Neji may be in real danger. I'll have to think some more. Come on, Temari."

All I could do was nod as we left. As soon as we were outside of her house, I turned to Shikamaru.

"I'm suppose to leave for my village tonight."

"Can't you stay any longer?" he pleaded as he held both of my hands.

"No. I'm sorry. I have things scheduled that I have to be in time for." I said, beginning to cry.

He came over and gave me a hug. As he hugged me, the tears stopped.

"Come on, let's go get your stuff. I wish there was more that I could to be with you, Temari."

"It's fine. This just makes me treasure the time that I have with you even more."

We made our way sadly to Sakura's house . I grabbed my bag, and large fan(my weapon! . ) and headed back over to Shikamaru, who escorted me to the gate.

When we got to the gate, I sighed. This was the last time that I would see Shikamaru for a long time. We stopped and Shikamaru looked at me with a sad look in his eyes. "You'll come back soon, right?"

"I will."

"Promise me."

"I promise, but don't mope around while I'm away. I love you."

He gave me a sad smiled and nodded. He came over to me and gave me a kiss. I never wanted to let go of Shikamaru. The kiss was long and passionate, which told me that he didn't want me to leave. We stopped and Shikamaru pulled me in for a strong hug. I heard him sniffle. He was taking this really badly.

"Don't worry. I'll come back. I promised you." I said as we parted ways in a sad mood.

Author's note: Poor Shikamaru! What do you think? Next chapter: Return to the sand village! (me: Funny, funny.)


	5. Tease

Chapter 9: Tease

After three days of weary traveling, I finally made it back home. I knocked on the door of our sandy, rock home and was immediately greeted by Gaara.

"Hey." He said, giving me a slight smile.

"Hi, Gaara! Where's Kankuro?"

"He's downstairs, writing a letter to Ginger." he said with a look of disgust.

I laughed and headed down the stairs to Kankuro's room. "Hey Kuro!" I said, leaning against the doorway.

"Hey Mari!" he said, getting up from his table to give me a hug.

"How was your trip? See any old friends?"

I immediately thought of Shikamaru. "Yeah. I saw Sakura, Larxene, Neji, Tenten, Kiba, Hinata, and Shikamaru." I said, rushing past the last part.

His eyes gave a mischievous sparkle. "Shikamaru, you say? Hm? Did he confess his undying love to you or something?" He started laughing.

I snorted and put my hands on my hips. "Actually, he did. I'm his girlfriend now."

He stopped laughing and looked me in the eye. "Are you serious? Finally! Gaara, did you hear that?"

"Uh huh. Shikamaru and Temari sitting in a tree-" he called out from behind me. (Inner me: Eeek! I hate when he does that!)

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Kankuro and Gaara said at the same time.

"Speaking of which, did he kiss you yet?" Gaara asked.

I blushed and Kankuro started laughing again. "He did! I hope that you guys didn't go any farther!" He added, giving me a glare.

That was it! Teasing was okay, but now that was going too far. I walked right up to him and slapped him across the face.

"Bakka!" I growled as Gaara fell on the ground laughing.

"Ha Kankuro! You sure got hit! Don't ever mess with Temari now that she's with Shikamaru!" Gaara said between laughs.

I turned around to face him and I gave him a slightly amused smile. "I'm glad that you're learning something from your older brother's many mistakes."

Gaara nodded and kept on laughing as a red hand appeared on Kankuro's face.


	6. Letter

Chapter 10: Letter

A month went by with a few training missions, but my thoughts revolved around Shikamaru. I woke up one morning to Kankuro waving an envelope in my face.

"What's that?" I asked as he smiled.

"A letter for you. It's from a Mr. Nara." Kankuro said, handing me the letter.

"Thanks for not reading it!" I said as I snatched the letter from his hands.

He gave a small laugh and left the room. I eyed the letter hungrily and ripped open the envelope.

A perfectly folded letter fell out. I opened it up and read it:

_Dear Temari,_

_Can you believe it? It's been a whole month since I saw your beautiful face. People say that all I do is mope around the village because I miss you so much. It's true. I do miss you. Tenten went into cardiac arrest while you were coming back to the village and poor Neji was the worst I've ever seen him. He's seen Tenten so close to dying, he can't stand losing her. Poor guy._

_I hope that you're okay and stuff at home isn't too troublesome. I was wondering that maybe you could come back to Konoha? The Hokage has me on security at the gate all this month, so I'll be there if you decide to come. Plus, you can stay at my place now, because Mom moved out! (Though she does come over during the day to make sure the place isn't a disaster.) I love you so much and miss you, my Princess of the Wind._

_Yours forever,_

_Shikamaru_

I sighed as I put the letter own. I wanted to go to Konoha so badly. Well, come to think of it, I don't have any missions and I'm way old enough to travel by myself. So, it's settled. I'm going to Konoha!

I jumped out of bed and made my way happily to the kitchen, where Gaara and Kankuro were sitting eating.

"What did your boyfriend say?" Kankuro asked as I ate my breakfast.

"Tenten was in the hospital. She went into cardiac arrest. I guess she's doing better. I'm going to Konoha tomorrow morning."

"Aw, poor Tenten! I'm sure Neji's taking it really badly."

I nodded solemnly and kept eating. What would Shikamaru do if I was in the hospital? I really didn't want to think about it. Gaara spoke up, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"I'm leaving tomorrow, too. Baki wanted me to go to some neighboring allies to ask if they needed help or stuff like that. He said that I wouldn't be back for at least two weeks."

"Too bad! That means I have the house all to myself!" (Inner me:-nose bleed- Bad image of Kankuro home alone!)

"Don't do anything stupid. I know that you're 19, but you sometimes act like Gaara."

"Hey!!" They said at the same time.

I started laughing and so did they. We usually never stay too mad at each other.

"So it's decided. I'll go tell Baki of my plans so they won't give me any missions while I'm away."

Gaara shrugged. "Don't be so sure, Temari. You're a Jounnin now, so you can't do whatever you want."

I sighed. He was right, like usual. Whatever!

"Still, I'm going to see Baki. I'll be back soon, I hope." With that said, I got up from the table. I headed out the door and went to Baki's office.

At Baki's office...

Baki greeted me with his usual welcome and smile.

"So Temari, what do I owe to this meeting?"

"Baki-sensei, I just wanted to let you know that I'm leaving for Konoha on personal business. Please don't give me any missions while I'm away."

He stared at me. "Personal business? Since when did you have personal business in Konoha?"

Baki was like my father ever since my father died. He loved Kankuro, Gaara, and I like his own children. He was also someone that I trusted greatly.

"I miss my boyfriend." I said, blushing.

"Boyfriend, hm? I hope that this boy is treating you well. As of now, you don't have any missions soon, so you're free to go."

I smiled at him. "Thank you Baki!"

"Have fun and enjoy yourself Temari. I'll need to see you back here in about two weeks to discuss a mission that you do have."

I nodded and left the building, eager to begin my journey to Konoha.


	7. Shikamaru

Chapter 11: Shikamaru

Three days later..

I was so happy! Today I'd get to Konoha! I was yet again getting sick of the scenery, but now i really had something to look forward to when I got to Konoha. It was still pretty dark, since I could barely sleep because I wanted to get there as soon as possible.

I soon saw the clearing that was close to the gate of Konoha. I was so happy, I started running. (Inner me: -impatient- Hurry up!) The gate of Konoha soon came into view and I saw Shikamaru waiting out by the gate at the security station.

He saw me coming and started walking out to meet me. I started running faster and I ran into his opened arms. He picked me up and hugged me.

"I missed you so much!" I cried as he held on to me.

"You have no idea. Thank you for coming."

We let go and Shikamaru held my hand. We walked over to the security post where the other ninja on duty was smiling at us.

"Go on, Shikamaru. I'll find you a replacement. Have fun, you two."

"Thanks, Kotetsu."

We made our way through the village talking about what we had done in that one month that we had been separated. He told me about the deer, and some funny stories. I was so happy to be in his company again.

We soon made it to Nara Park and he led me into the house. He took my luggage and weapon.(Inner me: Yes. I carry my weapon everywhere I go. Deal with it!)

"Do you think we could go over later and see Tenten? I want to see how she's doing."

"Sure, but for now, you should rest. It probably was a long journey for you."

He sat down on the couch behind us. I sat down in his lap and laid my head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around me and I closed my eyes, happy to be with Shikamaru again.

"Sweet dreams, Temari." he whispered in my ear as I drifted off into a sweet sleep.


	8. Ring,ring

Chapter 12: Ring, ring

I woke up still in Shikamaru's arms. I kissed him on the cheek, which woke him up as well.

He yawned and kissed me back. I never got tired of kissing him! (Inner me: . Hee hee..)

"Sleep well, Temari?" he asked as I got up off of him.

"Yes, thanks to you. Have you ever considered becoming my personal mattress?"

He laughed. "Sure! That means that you get a great night's sleep and I get to travel with you everywhere!"

I laughed and he got up."Are you hungry, Temari?"

"No, but thanks for asking. I ate before I got to Konoha. I made sure that Gaara and I had extra food, just in case."

"Gaara's on a mission? That means that Kankuro's home alone."

I laughed and shrugged. "I'm sure that he's enjoying it. It gives him more time to write to his precious Ginger."

He smiled and scratched his head. "I guess that you're right. Well, if you're fine, I'll take you over to Tenten's house."

I nodded and we made our way out of Nara Park and on to the city street. It was a short walk to Tenten's house, but that still gave me time to spend with Shikamaru.

"Sorry, I can't stay with you Temari. I have something to do and other things that need to be dealt with. When you're done, just head on over to the house. You'll be okay, right?"

"Of course. You be careful, okay?"

He nodded and gave me a hug and quick kiss. I knocked on the door as he walked away. Neji opened the door, looking much better than he did when Shikamaru wrote to me.

"Hi, Temari. How are you?"

"Great, thanks. Could I see Tenten if she's not busy?"

"Sure. She's in the living room , reading."

"Thanks." I made my way to the living room, where Tenten was doing just as Neji said.

"Hey Tenten!" I said, making her look up from her book.

"Hi Temari!" she said, getting up from the couch to give me a hug. I hugged her back and found a chair to sit in and we started chatting.

"So how are you feeling? Shikamaru wrote to me and told me what happened."

"Much , much better. Thank you for asking."

"That's good to hear. I felt so bad for you and Neji."

"Yeah. I had an 65 chance of being paralyzed and nonfunctional. It was so scary."

"What happened? Are you alright?"

"Thankfully, yes. I wasn't paralyzed. I've been A-okay since they released me from the hospital." she smiled dreamily and looked down at her left hand.

That's when I realized it. The ring. There was a ring on her hand!!

"Oh my God! Did Neji propose?!"

She beamed. "Yes! The wedding will be in a few months!"

I screamed and gave her a hug. "I knew it! I'm so happy for you!"

"Thanks! You and Shikamaru are coming, right? Kankuro and Gaara can come if they want, too."

"Totally! I'm in shock!"

She smiled. "I'm sure that one day Shikamaru will pop the question, too."

I nodded. "I hope so. I always loved him, like you loved Neji."

She smiled. "You're right! Speaking of Shikamaru, where is he?"

"He had other stuff to do. He was the one who wanted me to come back to Konoha."

"How long are you staying?"

"Seven or eight days. I have to go back after that because I have a mission scheduled."

"That's nice. I hope I'll see you around."

"Sure! See you later, the future Mrs. Hyuuga!"

I left Tenten's house happily and walked back to Nara Park, the picture of Tenten's ring floating in my memory.


	9. Hidden Talent

**AN: **Thank you all for your great reviews. I'm so glad that you like this story. I was thinking about posting a Neji Tenten story. Please comment or review me about your thoughts!!!

Chapter 13: Hidden talents

I came back to Nara Park and saw Shikamaru's mom folding some clothes out on the porch of the house.

"Hello, Mrs. Nara. Have you seen Shikamaru?"

"Oh, hello Temari. Shikamaru is in the shed, behind the house."

"Thanks." I said as I headed behind the house. I soon saw this little shed, just like Mrs. Nara said. I found a door and knocked on it.

"Whose there?" I heard Shikamaru muffle.

"Temari. Can I come in?"

"Sure thi-Ow!" I came into the shed and saw wood shavings everywhere. I looked over and saw Shikamaru leaning against a table, one of fingers bleeding.

"Oh my gosh! Are you alright?" I asked as I made my way over to him, luckily not one of those girls who faint at the sight of blood.

"Yeah, don't worry. Can you hand me a band-aid from that case next to you?"

I nodded and found the case and pulled out a band-aid. I opened up it up and placed it over his cut finger.

"What do you do in here?"

"Um.. I carve stuff."

"Really? Could I see one?"

He shrugged. "Sure, but they're not that good."

He moved aside and I saw this beautiful deer carved from some dark wood. It was so pretty and precisely dine.

"You idiot! It's amazing! How long have you been doing this?"

He shrugged. "Since I was younger. You really like it?"

"Totally! Why did you keep this a secret?!"

He blushed. "It's not important. If you want, you can have that one."

I nodded and he handed it to me. "Is there anything you'd really like to know or do? I finished everything that had to be done today, Temari."

I thought. "Did you know that Neji and Tenten are getting married?"

He nodded."Yeah, everyone knew that it was going to happen one day. Why'd you ask?"

I just shrugged. It's not like I was going to say "Oh, I was just wondering because maybe you thought about us getting married." That would be rude and pushy.

He came over and gave me a hug. Why, I'm not sure. I hugged him back and it made me forget about everything but him.

"I love you." he whispered.

"I love you,too."


	10. Fan girl

**AN: **I'm so sorry if I annoy you with the whole like one sentence paragraphs. Thanks for all the nice reviews, so keep sending them in! Thanks to temari.fl for telling me to post my Neji/Tenten story. It'll be up soon I promise!

Chapter 14: Fan girl

Shikamaru smiled and looked me in the eye. "How would you like to feed the deer again?" I smiled back at him."You know what? That would be awesome."

He gave me a boyish grin and led me out of the shed. We grabbed a basket and found a large covered tub that held a mix of yummy looking berries. Shikamaru led me off hand in hand to the place that I had first seen the deer. The deer soon came into view and they were still as beautiful as they were the first time that I saw them.

We fed the deer Shikamaru said the most random thing: "This is why I love you Temari. I was confused. "What do you mean? You love me because I help you with your chores?"

He let out a small laugh. "No, not for that reason. You know when I asked you out, you though that I liked Ino? I don't like Ino because she self-centered and she doesn't like animals."

I giggled at the thought of Ino feeding the deer with Shikamaru. He was right. "Why do you love me, Shikamaru?" He gave a loud sigh. "I'll try to summarize the best that I can without sounding too mushy. You're sweet, calm, and love to express your opinion, but don't push it unless it's important. You don't try to be something you're not and you enjoy being unique. Plus, you were never one of those silly Sasuke fan girls."

I giggled. "Totally true! I was always a Shikamaru fan girl and probably the only one!" He blushed and wrapped his arm around me. "Well, miss Shikamaru fan girl, could I interest you to joining me at our secret base?" I gave a fake fan girl squeal. "Are you serious?! Then I can tell you all about being your number 1 fan!"

He laughed and led me off to our secret base. I put the basket down and Shikamaru pulled me in for a kiss. I kissed him back and we fell onto the grass. Shikamaru was on top of me and I didn't mind. (Inner me: This is amazing!!) He pressed closer to me and I could feel his warmth. I knew that we shouldn't go any farther (Inner me: Not fair! You wanted to go farther! Follow your heart not your brain!!) so I pulled away.

"We should stop." I said as I pulled away. Shikamaru smiled and got off of me. "You're right." He wrapped his arms around me and led me back to the house, surrounded by his warmth and love.


	11. Promise

Chapter 15: I promise

Six days went by so quickly. I had so much fun with Shikamaru. We got closer in our relationship. (No, we did not do that!) I felt how much Shikamaru felt to me. The last day was so much harder than it was the first I had to leave. This time, I was the one crying.

"I don't want to leave!!" I cried as I held onto Shikamaru. "Me either, but you have to." Shikamaru whispered in my ear solemnly. "I don't want to leave!" He patted me soothingly on my back. "There,there. Remember the promise that you made to me the first time you left?" I nodded. "I will come back! I couldn't live if I didn't!"

He let go of me and wiped away the tears that stained my face. This is just some troublesome thing we have to deal with. Everything will be okay." I nodded solemnly and he pulled me in for a kiss good bye. I practically had to drag my feet as I made my way back to the Sand village.


	12. Brotherly love

Memo: This happens a month later..

Chapter 16: Brother

After getting home, I had a mission that kept me busy and my mind off of Shikamaru. (Inner me: Liar. You always thought about him but you didn't want to admit it!) I got home from the mission and all I did was mope around. Gaara wasn't home, so that made it worse.

"Stop worrying, Temari. I got a letter from him. If you don;t stop moping, I'll go insane!" Kankuro said, trying to cheer me up one afternoon. I nodded. "I hope so." He sighed. "It's been hard on you, huh? Being away from Shikamaru?" I sighed solemnly. "Yeah."

Kankuro came over and gave me a hug. "I know how you feel. Ginger does the same thing when I leave. She goes into a fit. But she knows that I'll be back because I love her."

I hugged him back, because he was right. He must really miss Ginger. Maybe i shiuld be nicer to him about missing Ginger. (Inner me: Hah! You wish! Joking and teasing is the job of the older sibling, right?)

He pulled my cheeks back, forming a smile on my face. "Cheer up! When Gaara comes back we'll all be happy and glad to be together. Got it?" I giggled and went down to my room. I stared at the wooden deer that Shikamaru had carved. I missed him so much that my heart ached to see him. Why did he have to live so far away?

I sat down on my bed and scribbled my thoughts into this little journal I kept. It helped me cheer up when I was sad or to get something off of my mind. I don't know how long I was sitting down writing, but there was a knock on my door.

"What do you want Kankuro?" I asked as I closed my journal. "Time to eat. Didn't I tell you to stop moping?" I sighed and walked out of my room. I sulked up to the kitchen.

We ate dinner and talked about our plans for the rest of the week. I was about to say something, when there was a knock on the front door of the house.

I got up from the table with a happy thought. "I'll get it! Maybe it's Gaara!" I walked up to the door and opened it.

Shikamaru was standing on the other side, holding a bouquet of roses.


	13. You're the Best!

Chapter 17:The Best Surprise Ever!

I screamed and gave him a hug. Shikamaru let ut a small chuckle and hugged me back. It was so good to see him!

"Did you miss me?" He asked as we let go.

"Of course I did!" I squealed as I let him into the house. He laughed and put his arm around me. (Inner me: Squee!! I'm so happy!)

Kankuro was standing in the hallway, smiling his head off. "Hey there, Shikamaru." Shikamaru smiled back. "Oi."

I looked from Kankuro to Shikamaru. Something funny was going on. "Did you plan this?" I asked, jabbing my finger in Kankuro's direction. He laughed. "Yeah. You were so sad, I had to cheer you up."

I smiled and went over and gave him a hug. "Thank you so much!" He laughed and patted me on the back. "No problem. That's what siblings are for."

I let go and went back over to Shikamaru. He took my hand and we took him into the kitchen. I gave him some food, and I could tell that he was really hungry. We finished eating and we talked about his journey here and our friends back in Konoha.

We finished eating and I cleaned the table. "After you're done, want to come with me to my hotel room? I want to go drop off my stuff." I nodded and we made our way down the dusty streets of my village.

Shikamaru told some funny stories about training the Gennin at the training school and I laughed so much! He was all smiles and I was glad that he came to the Sand village.

After we had found the hotel room, Shikamaru led me off to the boulders in front of our village. We sat down and watched the sunset fall across the desert sand. "I've never seen the sunset like this." He said, gazing at the beauty in front of us.

I nodded. "People have really seen a sunset until they see one like this." We sat together in the last rays of the golden sun. It was like being bathed in a shower of happiness and warmness.

Shikamaru turned to me. "Do you love me, Temari?" I thought that he was joking. "Of course I do! Why do you ask?" I said, peering at his face.

Shikamaru just smiled and unwrapped his arm that was around me. He made me stand up. (Inner me: Has walking through a desert made him crazy?) I looked at him , and before you knew it, Shikamaru was down on his knees.

"Temari, will you marry me? I promise that it won't be too troublesome." He asked, looking into my eyes.

I screamed and felt like fainting. "Of course!" He smiled and pulled a small box out of a pocket on his Chunin vest. Shikamaru opened it, and inside was a ring with a blue stone, almost the exact same color as my eyes.

He took the ring out and put it on my finger. I started crying out of joy and he pulled me in for a kiss. I was going to be the future Mrs. Nara! We let go and Shikamaru wiped the tears that were on my face. "Getting engaged is easy, but the troublesome part is planning the wedding. If we work as a team, I'm sure we can do it."

I sniffled and nodded. "If you're with me, I'll do anything."

**AN**: I hope that you all enjoyed this story. (Don't worry, there's one more chapter.) Please review and thanks to all the people who read this story!


	14. I do?

Memo: This takes place nine months after the engagement. The marriage takes place in Konoha and the season is spring. Enjoy the ending of Wind and Deer!!

Chapter 18: The Big Day!

I woke up and gasped. I was getting married today! I rushed out of bed, only to find someone knocking at the door. "Come in!" I yelled, as I jumped out of bed.

Tenten stepped into the room, smiling her head off. "Good morning, princess. Are you nervous?" I snorted. (Inner me: If only you knew!) "I'm scared out of my mind!!"

She made her way over to me, and I looked over at her left ring finger, which now had a wedding band instead of an engagement ring. "How did you do it, Tenten?" I asked, pulling my wedding dress out of the closet.

She laughed and smoothed her bride's maid dress, which was a pale lavender, exposing a rounded tummy. Tenten was six months pregnant, an also married to Neji for seven months. "It was nerve racking, and I acted pretty much the way you are now. Once I saw Neji waiting at the alter, I was fine and I knew I could do it."

I sighed and plopped down next to her. She placed her hand on my shoulder. "You'll be fine, Temari. Trust me. You're one tough cookie, and Shikamaru loves you. There's nothing to worry about. It's time you should be getting rady. I will not allow the bride to be late for her wedding!"

I nodded and got up. I took a quick shower and pulled the beautiful wedding dress on. The dress was pure white, with a bell shaped skirt that had light ripples in it. It was strapless and was a perfect fit on me. Shikamaru wanted me to pick out which ever one I wanted, saying that nothing I could pick would be to troublesome for the small amount of money we both had saved for the wedding.

After Tenten zipped me up in the back, I took a quick glance in the mirror. "You look like a beautiful princess, Temari." She said, smiling at me. I wiped the small tears I had, and placed the veil on my head. Tenten adjusted it and sighed. "Guess I should be off. Kankuro should be here shortly."

She gave me a quick hug and left the room. I slipped on a comfortable pair of satin ballet slippers, refusing to fall and trip in heels on the most special day of my life. There was a quick knock on the door, and I knew that it was Kankuro. "Come in." I murmured, looking at the door.

Just as I predicted, Kankuro stepped through the door. He was wearing a black tuxedo and tie set, with a small purple flower attached to his tuxedo pocket. He smiled as he saw me and I got up to give him a hug. "You look beautiful, Temari." He said as we let go.

I smiled and nodded. "You look very nice, too." He laughed and scratched his head. "Today's your day. Stop flattering me and think about how pretty you look." I blushed and cried. "I'm going to miss you , Gaara, Baki, and the whole village!"

Kankuro just shook his head. "You have no idea how much I'm going to miss you, sis. It'll never be the same at home without you." A small tear rolled down his cheek, but was quickly wiped away by his hand. This was really hard on him.

He cleared his throat. "Well, if you're ready, we should be going. You don't want to be late for your own wedding, do you?" I sighed and he handed me my bouquet of purple lilies and white roses. We made our way out of the hotel and he linked his arm with mine.

We made our way through the street to Nara Park. Some people were in the street, and they stopped to look at me. We walked into Nara Park, and it was strangely quiet. We walked through the path until we got close to the waterfall.

Through the small clearing, I could see the massive group of people that showed up for the wedding. (Inner me: I can't do this!! Aaaahhhh!) Kankuro leaned closer to me. "I love you, Temari. Everything will be fine. I promise."

I nodded. "Thanks Kankuro." We made our way to the flower arch and the massive crowd got quiet. The crowd stood up and smiled at me as I made my way down the aisle.

I saw Shikamaru waiting at the little wooden alter that he constructed just for our wedding. We locked eyes and he gave me a loving smile. Kankuro let go of my arm and stood next to the groom's men. Gaara, Choji, Neji, and Kankuro were all groom's men. Sakura, Tenten, Ginger, and Ino were my bride's maids. They all smiled at me, and I knew I could do this.

Shikamaru took my hand and we made our way to th alter. Baki read the wedding vows and I was glad that he could make it. I kind of hazed the first part of the vows, until he turned to us.

"Shikamaru Nara, do you take Temari to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness or in health, in sadness or times of great joy, and until death do you part?" Shikamaru's face got all serious. "I do."

Baki turned to me. "Temari, do you take Shikamaru to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness ir in health, in sadness or in times of great joy, and until death do you part?" I gulped the saliva

that was clogging my throat. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Shikamaru. "I do."

Baki smiled and I swear that he was about to cry. "Now, with these rings, we unite you two." He motioned and little Larxene brought up the wedding bands. Shikamaru slid my ring on my finger and smiled.

I took his ring and slid it on his finger. We turned back to Baki. He smiled. "I now pronounce you husband and wife." Shikamaru turned to me and lifted the veil. We kissed and the crowd erupted in applause.

I turned to see Gaara and Kankuro crying, but trying to man it up. Baki was crying ,too. I was going to miss them all so much!! I went over and gave Baki a hug. "Thank you so much, Baki." He let go and smiled. "Go on, your husband is waiting."

I smiled and made my way to Shikamaru. He held my hand and I knew that the future was going to be bright as Mrs. Nara.

**AN**:-wipes the tears away- Awww.. I loved writing this story! I hope that you all enjoyed this fic! I have a Neji/Tenten one up right now, so go on and read that one if you like my writing! Thanks to Jimu and Temari.fl for constantly reviewing! You rock! Plus, if Selene98 is reading, thanks!


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